Steering and driving mechanism for motor-vehicles.



E. S. ROBINSON.

STEERING AND DRIVING MECHANISM FOBMOTOR VEHIULES.

v .APPLIUATIQH FILED JULY 19,1912. I 1,092,744. Patented Apr. 7, 1914.

2 SHEEN-flHEET 1.

E. s. ROB1NSON. STEERING AND DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

4 APPLIOATION FILED JULY 19,1912. 1,092,744. v

2 SHEETB-SHEET 2.

w .v z;

Patented Apr. 7, 1914.

. d 3 a 7 7 :0 a

ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

s. 'nonmson', or OROVILLT. .cnnrronn'm, essrenon 'ro GOLDEN wns'r morons comm, or SACBAME' 'ro, CALIFORNIA, A, CORPORATION or CALI-.-

srnnnme em) DRIVING mnommrsm ron MOTOR-VEHICLES.

'Toall whom it may concemu.

Be it known that I, EDWARD S; ROBINSON, a citizen of the UnitedSta-tes, residing at Oroville, in thezcounty of Butte and State is of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steering and Driving Mechanism. for Motor-Vehicles, of which the I following is a specification. I I The present invention relates to improvements in driving and steering mechanism.

in carrying out my invention it is my purpose to provlde a construction of this class wherein power from the motor may be transmitted to the front wheels'of the vehicle as well as to the rear-wheels thereof, .and wherein more motive power for draw? T ing heavy loads, "climbing hills and for a .other purposes-where great draft is needed without increasing the diameterof' the tires 'or the motive power of. the vehicle. I furthe'r propose to construct a mechanism for this. purpose "able features of simplicity,

- 'rabilit p Wit the above recited objects in view, and othersmvhich will appear as the inven 'f' tion ismore'fullly' understood, the improve- "ment resides in the novel construction, com binati'on and o erative arrangementofparts hite-set forth in t efollowing description and accuracy and dufalling within the scopeof the appended I the drawings, Figure 1,is a plan'view '86 steering mechanism. Fig. 2 isQan elevation of the rear portion of theknuckle. *Flg. 3 is 'a broken plan view'of one knuckle, a portion of the casing .being broken away. Fig.

. '4 is a. longitudinal section of most of the" parts of'the drivinggear'and of thetrans? mitting mechanism. Fig.

i: a simi ar section 1 view upon .the l ne; 6 -6 of Fig. 4; IF'ig. is/a' sectional View upon the line 7-H! of Fig. 4;. Fig. 8 is upon the line 88 of Fig. 4. I 'Referri'ng now to the drawings in detail,

' the numeral 1 designates the front axle or 'shaftawhichis mounted in one of the iront sotubes 2, said'tube .being fixed agiajinstrota- '1' ti on'by any-'su-i I gear (wheel 4 may be mountedon the axle 1, 111b, be driten 'by a gear. 5, which .ismounted gipdh e f a mptor7. Thesaid ehaf t 5.is a crp ss on .u on the'line 5-5 of Fig. 4. 121g. 621s.

. l I11; sectlon v s em'cauoii 02 Letters Patent: Application filed July 19,1912. Serial mmogev.

which will embody: the desir-fi of the running-gear of a vehicle, showing thettble means'(not.shown). A

'tion, and an illustration of the 1 said pockets end provided- Surrounding/the: spindle:

' Patented-Apr. 7, 1914..

6 may be extended,."if desired, and provided with again wheel 8 which will mesh with asimilar gear wheel 9 provided upon the rear axle 10 of the vehicle, if the motive poweris to be applied to both the front and rear axles. The steering fork 11 is mounted on the tubular casing 2 by any suitable.

' means. This steering fork is operated in the .usual manner, and as the operating mechanism is well understood-a detailed descripsame is not deemed necessary.

The opposite ends of the shaft 1 are provided with elongated preferably wedgeshaped openings 13,.v the same. adapted to reglster' with similar openings formed in the sleeve. 14 of a substantially semisspherical socket 15. The openings are adapted to receive a wedge 16, whereby the sockets 15 are removably. sustainedupon the axle, but so as to revolve. with said axle. The piece 14 is disposed in continuation of said tubeil'. The semi-spherical socket 15 is 'formed with a reduced portion 17- having interior threads .18, the saidthreadsladapted to (So-act with similar threads provided upon a shoulder 19 of the socket extending member 20. The extension 20, as'well as the socket 15 are each provided at suitable spaced intervals with registering cl'lr'veddepressions forming pockets21.

The numeral 22 designates a ball member For sphere which isadapted to be received within the socket 15 and to be retained thereinby the socket extension 20. This .ball is provided with removable lugs 23 .which extend beyond the periphery thereof and which are'adapted to be received within "thepockets 21-and which, when'contacting with the-opposite shoulders provided by the limit the swinging movement of the'ball. The ball 22 is provided witha centrally'arranged bore 24, and the saidball is further provided with a recess or depression'25 which opens withih the bore 24. I

" The numeral 26 designatesa spindle which has one of'its ends'lreceivetkwithin the bore 24 of the-ball, andthesaispindle has its witha recessed portion 27 which is adapted-to register with the recess 26 of the bore, and positioned within the said re 'sterin recesses is a s ringkey 28 which fi g I. he ball. i ms eeve' 29 e actively retains the splnglbe u on whichihas one of its extremities cup-shaped fork 11 ,has its arm's connected with the sai cup-shapedmember 30 through the medium as at 30, the'sai'd 'cup-sha ed portion being 2 arranged adjacent the soc et and its extension, and being adaptdto close the open end or mouth of the extension. The sterin of removable elements, such as bolts=31; I v The numeral 32 designates the wheel hub, the same comprising a hollow member which surrounds the sleeve 29. The inner portion of the hub isformed with an enlargcd annular flange .32, while the hub is formed with depressions or pockets 33 which arearranged in a plane with the outer face of the said flange 32.

The numerals 34 desi hate the spokes for the wheel, the said spo es adapted to rest upon the flange 32 and to have their inner;

and? received within the pockets33 of the The hub, at its juncture with the flange 32 1s provided with an annular depressed. portion 35, the-same being arranged diadepression 41* which forms-one of the members of the race way for the anti-frictional 'balls' 39Q The sleeve 29 is provided with exterior threads arranged adjacent its outer end, and co-acti with the said threads is-a jam nut 42, which also engages with. the plate 40 to sustain the said plate against the anti-frictional balls 39.

The spindle 26 may be square in cross section, or the said spindle ma have one of its outer extremities thread a 11d arranged upon the said outer-extremity ,which projects a suitable distance beyond the end of the spindle 26 is an annular c'0llar 43, the

bore of which being of a shape to engage v with the end of the spindle' In this connec-' tion it maybe stated that .the collar'may :be

- secured to the sleeve in various other mannersif desired The-collar 43 is formedat proper spaced intervalswith a plurality of o nings '44, the same communicatingwith t e periphery of the collar; andarranged within-each of the said openings or pockets are friction wedge members The numerals 46 des1gnate wedge keys which are adapted to contact with the innerwall provided b the pocket; 44, and to bear against the we ge members 45 and to force the said wedge beyond the periphery of the collar and intofrictional contact with the inner bore of a hub casing 47. This cas ng 47 has its outer end open and threaded, and the numeral 48 designates a flanged -dust cap which: is provided-with interior r, sthreads which cooperate with-the thread ot' the hub casing 47, to protect the members 1 arranged within the hub casing. -The hub ioasing 47 has its opposite-end- ;piiovided with an out-turned flange 48," the said things being provided with spaced'openins '50-which are adapted to' register with simi ar openings 51 provided in the flange 32' of the hub 31. These openings are arranged-within the path of each of the spokes 34, and each of the said spokes are likewiseprovided with openings 52, while passing; through the said registering openings'arejsecuring bolts 53 which arr provided with retaining nuts 54.

It will befgnoted that the cup-shaped -extension 30 is'held against displacement from the spherical partfof {socket -15 im-the following manner: The ball. 24.: is heldiin'thesocket extension 17 by'meansot'the lugs 23 which have movement in the'pockets 21, so that said spindle 26 which is fixedly mounted in said ball :j's also held 'in connected relation with said xsoeket extension. The free end of the spindle -26 is polysided as at d3awhioh polysided part is frictionallyengaged by the binding collar 43 as hereinbefore mentioned.

Through the instrumentalityoi the-wedge block 455 and the keys 46 the binding collar 43 is frictionally held in rigid contact with both the polysided part 43' of the spindle 26 and the hub casing 47, so that when said spindle 26 revolves said hub casing 47 will obey its movement'thereby causing the wheel .to revolve and through the instrumentality of the spokes 34 which are seated in the" hub 31 causing said hub also to, revolve frictionlessly owing and 38 herem'before described; The'binding collar 43 hearing against the jam nut L2, andthe jam nut 42 contacting the ball retaining member 40 ho'ld sthe hub against displacement while said collar 43 hearing against the to the antifrictional walls 36 sleeve 29 upon which the cup-shaped'extension, 3Q is 'formed, holds said sleeve 29' against displacement also.

'any suitable means, the cup-shaped extension When the steering fork 11 is actuated by 30 wilhbe swiveied upon the socket extension relatively to the reduced portion 17 of the socket 1-5 and thereupon the hub casing will also swivel and cause'the wheel to be steered in the desired direction. As-the wheel is steered it. also revolves owing to the rotation of the spindle 26 which is caused to rotate by means oflthe fact that the reduced portion 17 of socket 15, being fixedly seemed to' the axle 1; is caused tonotate with said axle irrespectiye of the swiveling movement 0 the spin-tilts 26.

Numerons modifieationsmay. be resorted 13o to in practice without departing in principle the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what Iclaim'1s:

1. In combination, an axle, a spindle arranged inalinement with said axle, a spherical member carried by said axle, said spindle -projecting into sa d spherical member,

means whereby said spindle may rotate in unison with said axle, a polysided part formed upon the free end of said spindle, a

sleeve surrounding said spindle and tenni natingshortv of the polysided part, a cupshaped extension formed upon said sleeve and arranged to swivel upon said spherical member, a hub surroundin the said sleeve, spoke receivin members ormed exteriorly around said hu a. hub casing, a ring in said hub easin fitting said polysided part of said spin e, means for expanding said i to frictio'nally bind against said polysid part and said hub casing, whereby the latter may-be? rotated with said spindle, and antifrictional balls interposed between said f sleeve and said hub.

2. In combination, a spindle, a polysided part formed upon said spindle, a sleeve surrounding said spindle, means engaging one end of said spindle to rotate it, a hub loosely mounted upon said sleeve, spoke receiving nal flange formed upon said hub in one plane with said sockets, a swiveling part formed terminally upon said sleeve and bearing loosely .upon said flange, a hub casingya flange upon said casing 006 eiatin with said other flange to form a si e'bear ng for spokes, said sleeve being screw-threaded at its free end, an annular member engaging said screw threaded end of said sleeve and holding said 'hub against enclwise displace-' ment, a ring contacting said hub insaid hub easing, said ring fitting the polysided part of said spindle, means for causing said rin to bind against said polysided art and uh casing, and a cap removably e osing the end of said hub casing.

in presence of two witnesses. EDWARD S. ROBINSON.

witiiless i s one, A. F. Bent.

In testimonvwhereof I afix my signature sockets being formed upon said hub, a. termi- 

